County health chief Rothstein to retire

May 20, 2003|By Mickey Ciokajlo, Tribune staff reporter.

The longtime chief of Cook County's $800 million public health system, which features at its core the recently opened Stroger Hospital on Chicago's West Side, announced Monday that she plans to retire at the end of the summer.

Ruth Rothstein, who last month celebrated her 80th birthday, said the time has come for her to pass the baton.

"I am 80, and I think it's time that one relaxes," Rothstein told reporters Monday, adding she intends to remain an advocate on the issue of access to medical care for all.

Rothstein's retirement will be effective Aug. 31. County Board President John Stroger said he would search inside and outside the organization for a replacement for Rothstein, whose annual salary is $255,000.

"Mrs. Rothstein's leadership, dedication and tenacity over the past decade has resulted in a world-class public health care system that every resident of this county should be proud of," Stroger said.

Rothstein led Mt. Sinai Hospital on the West Side for two decades before former County Board President Richard Phelan tapped her in 1990 to run Cook County Hospital.

Rothstein's initial focus was to regain the hospital's accreditation, which it lost for a year as a result of code violations.

In 1991, Phelan named Rothstein the chief of the newly formed health services bureau, which folded the hospitals and public health department under one umbrella.

The bureau has expanded greatly over the last 12 years, adding a network of neighborhood health clinics and bringing the once-closed Provident Hospital on the South Side into the county system.

But the major thrust almost since the start of Rothstein's tenure had been the construction of a replacement for County Hospital. Rothstein, who started her career as a union organizer, helped develop support from politicians and the medical community for Stroger Hospital, which opened in December.

"That had been really eluding everyone for over 50 years," said Dr. Peter Orris, president of the hospital's medical staff.

The health system has also been a critical piece of the county's financial puzzle, drawing tens of millions of dollars in federal revenue each year, a money flow that has grown substantially during Rothstein's tenure.

Her departure means the Stroger administration will have a second major candidate search under way. Stroger is still seeking a replacement to run the Forest Preserve District following Joseph Nevius' retirement earlier this year.